The invention concerns optimizing purchaser valve when making on-line computer purchases that involve rewards benefits granted through seller loyalty programs. More specifically, the invention concerns a system and method assisting purchasers in making purchase decisions based on the consolidated, simultaneous display of plural purchase options for products and/or services from plural providers, where each purchase option includes a purchase price and a corresponding rewards benefit such as rewards miles. Presentation of consolidated purchase options allows the purchaser to readily compare one purchase option, from a first provider, to the other remaining purchase options from other providers, and thereby the invention puts the purchaser in position to make an optimal purchase decision that optimizes purchaser value.
In application to travel purchases, the invention responds to a traveler's travel request by simultaneously displaying plural travel options that satisfy a travel request, and for each displayed travel option, the invention displays both a purchase cost and resulting total rewards miles that accrues to the traveler upon purchase of that travel option. By simultaneously presenting both cost and total rewards miles for each travel option from the competing providers, the traveler can promptly make an optimal purchase decision since the traveler can compare, on an “apples to apples” basis, the cost and rewards benefit of each travel option against to the cost and rewards benefits of the remaining travel options. In this way, the traveler can determine the best value as the traveler can readily decide which travel option has the best net cost (where, for instance, net cost=purchase cost−awarded miles) and thereby optimize purchaser value.